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Mangkunegaran festival in Surakarta marries jazz with cultural heritage
Besides jazz music, the Mangkunegaran Jazz Festival also hosted a festival of traditional fabrics from across Indonesia dubbed Wastrafest.
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Eva Celia performs at the 2019 Mangkunegaran Jazz Festival in Surakarta on March 30.
(JP/Ganug Nugroho Adi)
T
housands of people flocked to the Mangkunegaran Jazz Festival at Kavallerie-Artillerie Pamedan Field on the southern side of Puro Mangkunegaran Palace in Surakarta, Central Java, on Saturday night, March 30.
On stage, British folk jazz singer Lianne La Havas performed one of her hit songs "Unstoppable".
Kicking off her show at 11:30 p.m. with "Wonderful", La Havas invited spectators to sing along. Donning a brown dress with a guitar in her hands, she gained popularity when she was chosen to open Coldplay's concert in Asia and Europe in 2017.
Other than La Havas, Eva Celia also performed in front of enthusiastic audiences who were mostly youths. The daughter of prominent jazz musician Indra Lesmana belted a total of five songs, including "Reason", "Tak Ada Cinta yang Lain" (There's No Other Love) and "Long Way".
Wearing a simple outfit, Eva looked and sounded great with her smooth voice.
Up next was D'Masiv, which is known for its romantic pop songs. That night some of the band’s hits like "Rindu Setengah Mati" (Miss You So Much), "Diam Tanpa Kata" (Silence Without a Word) and "Di Antara Kalian" (Among You) were performed in an interesting jazzy vibe.
Read also: Ngayogjazz: More than just a jazz festival
"This is a challenge for us. We're glad to be able to perform at the Mangkunegaran Jazz Festival. The crowds in Surakarta are amazing," vocalist Rian Ekky Pradipta told The Jakarta Post after the show.
Prior to the Saturday night event, a two-day Road to Mangkunegaran Jazz Festival was held from Nov. 24 to 25 at Pura Mangkunegaran, which attracted more than 15,000 people.
Other than D'Masiv, other jazz singers who performed on Friday were Ardhito Pramono, Jordy Waelauruw featuring Tommy Pratomo and several jazz communities in Surakarta.
Besides jazz music, the event also hosted a festival of traditional fabrics from across Indonesia dubbed Wastrafest.
"This festival is not only a celebration of music but also culture. You can say that jazz serves as a bridge to introduce the beauty of our country's traditional fabrics," said initiator GPH Bhre Cakrahutomo Wira Sudjiwo.
Bhre said the festival would become an annual event with a different concept every year. It will also promote other cultural heritage.
"We can promote Indonesia's cultural richness using various platforms, including a jazz festival like this," he added. (kes)
